About “Chinju-no-Mori Community Research Institute”

1.About “Chinju-no-Mori （Grove of the Village Shrine） Community Research Institute”

The “Chinju-no-Mori （Grove of the Village Shrine） Community Research Institute” is a think tank that considers new relationships between the Chinju-no-Mori , local communities, and modern society.
In modern Japan, many issues have arisen due to the dilution of local communities and the weakening of the connection between humans and nature.
We started this institute with the belief that the Chinju-no-Mori, which has existed since ancient times, is a place where local communities, nature, and faith are integrated, and that rediscovering and reevaluating its significance will lead to solving various problems in modern society and creating new directions rooted in tradition. It could be called an attempt to explore the possibilities of ” Chinju-no-Mori” as an ancient future.
Specifically, as a research project, we are conducting research and implementation on the themes of 1) Chinju-no-Mori renewable energy community project, 2) Chinju-no-Mori therapy (forest therapy), and 3) traditional Matsuri festivals and regional revitalization in local communities. In addition, we conduct an analysis of the “community economy” in which people, things and money circulate at local levels, and we try to create a vision of a social model for the coming era that could be called a “green welfare state” (eco-social capitalism), and “global ethics” as a fundamental value principle. We would like to proceed with social activities with a view to universal themes such as the exploration of those topics.
At the same time, we would also like to play a role in connecting and coordinating people in various related fields, such as community activities, environment and nature conservation, horticulture, natural energy, shrines and temples and other religious-related fields, health care and welfare, etc. We are looking forward to contacting everyone who is interested.

2. Basic Purpose

If a Japanese person travels by car or train in European countries, he or she may be impressed by the fact that a church stands in the center of a village settlement. I used to think that this is just an European story and that the cultural background is completely different in Japan.
But at some point I came to think that this is not the case. As you can see from Matsuri festivals and various annual events in Japan, there were shrines and temples as the center of local communities. I was quite surprised to know that the number of shrines and temples in Japan are about 81,000 and 86,000, respectively. The number of junior high schools nationwide is about 10,000, and the number of convenience stores, which is thought to be that large, is about 60,000, so this is a huge number.
In a sense, it is rather rare to find a country with such a large number of “religious spaces” distributed throughout the country, and in the post-war period of rapid urban migration and economic growth, they have merely temporarily shifted from the center of the minds of the people in Japan.
What is also interesting is the connection between Japan’s shrines and temples and “nature”. As symbolized by the phrase “Chinju-no-Mori （Grove of the Village Shrine）,” nature such as woods and trees are indispensable there, and it clearly shows the view of life and the universe that contains something beyond material things or existence and nothingness in nature. And this is by no means limited to Japan, but seems to have something in common with the most basic views of nature in various regions of the earth.
Interestingly, in recent years, as interest in local communities has increased, there have been examples of re-evaluating shrines and temples, which were not at the center of people’s interest during the period of high economic growth, as valuable “social resources” in the local communities, and using them as places for welfare activities such as child-rearing and elderly care, as well as places for environmental learning.
Based on the above interests, the purpose of this institute is to explore the new significance and possibilities of Chinju-no-Mori in modern society, such as its relationship with natural energy, care, and regional revitalization, as a base for the local community that is integrated with nature and spirituality.

3. Research Themes and Pillars of Activities

In response to the above purpose, the main themes and activities of the Institute are as follows.
1) Chinju-no-Mori Renewable Energy Community Concept
2) Chinju-no-Mori therapy (forest therapy)
3) Matsuri Festivals and regional revitalizations

Regarding 1), in light of the East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident in 2011, it is a major challenge to create a “distributed energy system” rooted in the local community as much as possible in the future. The aim is to revitalize the local community, and we are already working on several specific projects.
We believe that this has the potential to be a vision that Japan can transmit to the world as a combination of the contemporary issue of renewable energy and the traditional culture that unites traditional views of nature and community.

Regarding 2), based on the fact that the relationship with greenery and nature is of great significance for human beings to mental and physical health and spiritual fulfillment, the plan is to actively utilize the Chinju-no-Mori as a place for so-called forest therapy and various communications and health promotion activities for all the generations.

Regarding 3), in light of the recent increase in the orientation and interest of the younger generation in local communities and the fact that it has been pointed out that there are many U-turns and settlements of young people in areas where “Matsuri festivals” are popular, this pillar of research is to explore the contemporary significance of Matsuri festivals and revitalize the local region in an integrated manner with traditional culture and history. In this context, it will be important to combine public policy and social science research, such as regional revitalization, anthropology and religious studies.

In addition to the above, in light of the growing interest in views on life and death and end-of life care amid the aging of the population and the maturation of society, we plan to examine attempts to connect the Chinju-no-Mori with views on life and death and palliative care, which could also be called the ” Chinju-no-Mori Hospice.”
In addition to the above-mentioned specific and individual research themes and activities rooted in the region, we will also broaden our understanding of values and social systems, such as the view of life in the coming era, the value principle that should be called “global ethics,” the community economy or the circulation of the economy within the local region, the “green welfare state” (or eco-social capitalism), etc. We would also like to explore more universal topics related to public policy.

This institute connects people from various related fields who are interested in the above new endeavors (people involved in shrines and temples, people in the fields of renewable energy and the environment, local governments and government officials, forest instructors and other people involved in forestry and horticulture, residents’ associations, neighborhood associations, local organizations, healthcare and welfare professionals, companies and NPOs, etc.). We would like to play a role in coordinating them. We welcome your frank opinions and questions from those who are interested in our interests and awareness of the issues.